Come Back Jack
by iloveromance
Summary: Sally is devastated when it appears that her premonition of Jack's disastrous visit to Christmas Town has come true and that she's lost him forever.


**A/N: My apologies for not getting this posted around Halloween! All comments are appreciated and I thank you for reading! **

"_I sense there's something in the wind that feels like tragedy's at hand…"  
><em>

The song was soulful and honest, but she wouldn't have been singing it at all had she not been so frightened. The signs were all there, despite her attempts to warn him, but he simply wouldn't listen. He was too wrapped up about discovering this thing called Christmas.

But it was going to be a disaster. She was sure of it.

And so she sat in her corner by the fence, her scrawny but lovably sweet black cat by her side. She stroked his thinning, matted fur trying to hide her worry, but it came anyway.

Suddenly her singing stopped, interrupted by the sound of the siren. The sound could only mean one thing. Alarmed, she looked up to find that again she'd been right.

The mayor's car drove around, his bold voice echoing through the loud speaker; bringing the chilling news that no one wanted to hear. "Terrible news! The worst tragedy of our time! Terrible news! Jack has been blown to smithereens!"

She gasped as her hand flew to her mouth. No…. it wasn't possible… Jack couldn't really be…

Tears filled her eyes and without hesitation she ran through the town of Halloween until she came to the Hinterlands. There she saw the group of trees, decorated with Holiday doors, just as Jack had described them. The trees were confusing and she pondered each one. Her eyes scanned the shamrock, the heart, the colored egg and the turkey until finally she saw it… The Christmas tree. It really was pretty with the gold trim and red circular… what did Jack call them? Oh right, ornaments.

Her hand reached for the door knob and she pulled it open when a cold blast of air hit her full force, propelling her inside.

"WHOA!"

Down, down, down she went until she landed with a thud in a soft pile of white. Wearily she pushed herself to her feet, noticing that everything was white and powdery… Oh, and c-c-c-cold. She shivered, wishing that she had something to keep her warm. But she couldn't stand here complaining about the weather. She had to find Jack. He must be around here somewhere.

She walked around Christmas Town growing more worried by the minute. And finally she came to a small cemetery with a large angel in the center. Perhaps she could ask the angel where Jack was. But as she opened the gate and walked inside, she gasped in horror. It wasn't a real angel at all, but a statue. And lying in the arms of the statue, his clothes tattered and torn (even more so than her own), was her beloved Jack.

Around her, a small fire burned where his sleigh had crashed, bringing the reality even closer; the reality that she would never see Jack Skelington alive again.

Overcome with grief, she sank to her knees and began to sob. "Oh Jack…"

Zero floated around her, barking and whining wildly and her heart went out to him. She could only imagine how devastated he was, losing his master. This new reality only served to make her cry harder. "Oh Zero…"

Suddenly a touch of warmth fell onto her back. It was a familiar touch; almost as though… she turned and gasped in shock.

"Jack!"

Was it a dream? A nightmare? She had no idea, but it couldn't be real. Jack was….

The mysterious figure watched her with wide eyes, his hand now on her shoulder. "Sally, what are you doing here? How did you get here?"

She stared at him with the same wide eyes. "Jack?"

"Sally?"

Her hand reached up and touched his smooth white face. "Is it really you?"

"Well yes, but…"

She began to sob with relief (and joy) and threw herself into his arms. "Oh Jack…"

He held her close… so close that she could hear the beating of his heart; a sound she'd never heard before, and she dampened his suit with her tears.

"Sally, what's wrong? What's happened?"

"I thought I'd never see you again! When the mayor said you'd been blown to smithereens, I didn't believe him! I had to find you! I-."

Slowly he drew out of her arms and looked at her in disbelief. "You came all this way to find me?"

"I had to! I-."

A look filled his hollow black eyes unlike any she'd ever seen. A feeling… Was it love?

His hand lightly touched her face. "Sally, I never realized…"

She hugged him tightly, almost forgetting how tattered and torn he was. "Jack, please don't ever leave me! Let's go back to the town of Halloween! No more Christmas, please?"

He smiled and took her hand. "That's a wonderful idea. I-Ow…." He groaned, reminding her of how much pain he was in and she slipped her arm around his thin waist.

"Come on, Jack. Let's go home… I'll take care of you."

Slowly they made their way out of the cemetery and toward the Hinterlands, Zero following close behind. When they reached the Christmas tree door, Jack stopped and turned to her, content to share kisses before the wind pushed them upwards, to where they were before. Their fingers entwined, they entered the tree with the pumpkin face, eager to spend their first of many Halloweens together; two souls who had found love at Christmas.

THE END


End file.
